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Abstract
There are many valuable resources for anyone who ascertains to grow spiritually within
ministerial role, or individually. The Three-Dimensional Leader: A Biblical, Spiritual &
Practical Guide to Christian Leadership has a primary focus of teaching others how to
effectively tune into God’s voice before and during the journey into biblical leadership. Much of
the text speaks about the role that the Holy Spirit should rightfully play within the parameters of
an effective ministry. To lead effectively in any ministerial position, the book asserts those who
seek to attain such a godly role should look to lead after being divinely called and should rely on
Christ to develop a godly sense of spiritual depth and personal integrity.1
The prayer life of a believer is of utmost importance, and this is highlighted more
specifically for leaders of the faith. God speaks to believers through Scripture, while we speak to
him through meditation and prayer. This line of communication is fundamentally important in a
believers walk, and the text shows how valuable it is to place oneself under the authority and
leadership of Jesus before attempting to lead others. Dempsey states, “The first step of effective
Christian leadership is understanding the importance of being led.”2 Scripture highlights the
importance Christ placed on his own time with the Father, and the emphasis of his hope for us to
do the same. A leader who is focused on enhancing the Kingdom of God will work on his
personal relationship with Christ first, then pass on that wisdom to those who have been placed
before him. A reverential fear of God is biblically healthy, and the text shows how this translates
into a humble outpouring of kingdom servanthood.
1 Dempsey, R., Early, D., and McClendon, A., The Three-Dimensional Leader: A Biblical, Spiritual & Practical Guide to
Christian Leadership. Bellingham, WA. Kirkdale Press. 2023. (64).
2 Ibid., (81).
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Midway through the text, the focus shifts to how a vision from Christ directly relates to
the goals, planning, and training involved in making effective Christian Leaders. The priority
should remain to follow Jesus in understanding and applying His teaching and commandments,
to lead others with the ultimate goal being the Great Commission. Prayer is paramount to
accomplishing this and provides a defense against the enemy’s darts during spiritual warfare.
Establishing a connection with others is not only vital in making disciples, but also necessary in
coming together to create a strong foundation that is able to withstand the enemy’s many
advances. Dempsey states, “There is nothing on earth Satan fears more than prayer, so he
concentrates on keeping you from prayer, and prayer is his nemesis.”3
Concrete Response
In essence, this book teaches how to obtain the necessary attributes to become an
effective leader for the Kingdom of God. I found myself remembering several leaders I have had
during my 25 year walk with Christ, and comparing their leadership styles to what the book says
is effective. I have been fortunate to have a great youth pastor when I was just starting my
journey with Christ who taught me the importance of spending time with Jesus and studying the
Word of God. He had a profound impact on me as a young believer, and helped show me how
being in Scripture and making my time early in the morning is beneficial to establishing a strong
foundation that is not easily shaken. We became very close, and this is the first time I began to
hear God call me into the ministry.
About 15 years later, while being stationed in England, I met a missionary who worked
for Cadence International providing outreach to young military members. His leadership style
was less focused on studying the Bible, although we did that often, it was primarily about how to
3 Dempsey, R., Early, D., and McClendon, A., The Three-Dimensional Leader: A Biblical, Spiritual & Practical Guide to
Christian Leadership. Bellingham, WA. Kirkdale Press. 2023. (125).
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worship effectively through music and how we lived our lives. We spent 3 years developing a
great relationship, and his leadership helped me enroll in my initial degree plan with Liberty. He
was not only my pastor, but developed into a great mentor and friend as we would often get
together to discuss life and how to navigate certain areas within it. He was a great example of
how a man relates God’s word to being a good husband, father, and friend.
Reflection
One area of concern in the text is the under emphasis on things found in secular
leadership that can be attributed to the Christian worldview. I understand that Christian
leadership and secular leadership are significantly different in that the former focuses on the
ability to be an effective leader comes form a strong relationship with Jesus that promotes a
servant view, whereas worldly leadership has a central focus on self as the primary. Yet, there
are some things we can learn from a secular view, such as drive and passion to achieve results
that come from being goal oriented. In no way should personal results overshadow the growth of
God’s kingdom, however, secular leadership seems to set a clearer boundary within the confines
of the company. For example, in my experience, the line between employer and friend and what
that looks like can be hard to identify within the Christian community. Although not impossible
to achieve, the secular world seems to be better at drawing the necessary lines between friend
and employer that are crucial in business.
Another positive of leadership from a worldview standpoint is that a company is rarely
successful with one or two individuals performing on their own. I believe the Christian
community can learn from this and not look to isolate by only accepting feedback they believe to
be divine as we understand that God uses all people in many ways to further His kingdom.
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Instead of blocking out opinions from unbelievers, we should invite the opinions of all as long as
we remain focused on a view of the truth of the Gospel.
Action
After reading the book, it has become clear that there are aspects of my relationship with
Jesus that need immediate attention. I have been good at reading and studying God’s Word, to
the point that I have been able to accel in two different degree programs and am doing so once
more in a third Yet when I carefully analyze the areas that are lacking the first that comes to
mind is my willingness to share what I have learned with those who are not believers. I have
found it easy to relay the knowledge God has allowed me to gain with those who share a like
minded belief in who Christ is and what His general purpose is for believers. With people who
are outside of that faith, I tend to back away and not push the envelope which has relegated me to
the position of cheerleader at times instead of a member of the team. Moving forward, I plan to
put myself in a position where I listen when I hear God point me in the direction of someone
who needs to hear the truth of the Gospel.
The other area, and one that may be the most important to me is to lean on God’s
understanding and not my own. I have struggled in this for many years after being diagnosed
with sever complex PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder. Instead of seeking the peace and
serenity of Jesus, I have sought to gain an understanding of certain medical conditions associated
with my afflictions. This has caused me to place an emphasis on my own methods of relief
instead of valuing the methods outlined by my Savior. From now on, I plan to be intentional
about focusing on Jesus rather than the problem, as Scripture says God’s ways are not ours, and I
fully believe that He has allowed me to struggle with these conditions to help me understand my
need to be close to him in these moments instead of running to my own conclusions.
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The promises of Christ come alive in moments when I struggle to get past my condition,
and in realizing and putting into action my faith in Him, I can better lead others to do the same.
This is an example of being led by Christ in all things, even the hardest to make sense of, and
this will enable me to show others how to do so as well.
